Don’t Miss the Open House Thursday
Beacon Hill is one of six neighborhoods in Seattle where greenways will be installed this year. Neighborhood greenways are routes on non-arterial streets that are improved for safe, family-friendly bicycle and pedestrian travel, and are usually designed for reduced vehicle speeds and volumes.
Community meeting held in November of 2010.
A long time in the works, this greenway is one of several that were proposed in the Beacon BIKES Circulation Plan, which was initiated by neighborhood volunteers. Beacon B.I.K.E.S. believes “that pedestrians and cyclists encounter similar obstacles in getting around our neighborhood and that facilities that address both modes make the most sense.” The Beacon Bikes plan was funded by a “Small and Simple” grant from the Department of Neighborhoods. It was presented to the community at a public meeting in November, 2010.
Fast forward to the present: The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is having an open house to discuss the upcoming installation of a neighborhood greenway in the Beacon Hill neighborhood:
Date: Thursday, July 19
Time: 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Jefferson Community Center, 3801 Beacon Avenue S
The Beacon Hill Neighborhood Greenway is 2.8 miles long, improving access to the I-90 Trail, Beacon Hill light rail station, the Beacon Hill library, Jefferson Park, Maplewood Playfield, Mercer Middle School, Maple Elementary School, and Cleveland High School. The greenway will start at the I-90 Trail and 18th Avenue S, and continue north along 18th Avenue S. The greenway crosses Beacon Avenue S at S Hanford Street, and continues on LaFayette Avenue S into Jefferson Park. South of Jefferson Park the greenway will cross 15th Avenue S at S Dakota Street and continue on 12th Avenue S to S Lucile Street.
Proposed project elements along the greenway route include:
The intersection of S Spokane Street and Lafayette Avenue S where pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements would be added.
- Signs and pavement legends along the greenway
- Stop signs to control traffic crossing the greenway
- A median island with new marked crosswalks at LaFayette Avenue S and S Spokane Street where pedestrians and bicyclists can safely stop before continuing to cross the street.
- A median island with new marked crosswalks at Beacon Avenue S and S Hanford Street
- Rechannelization and signal improvements at Beacon Avenue S and S Spokane Street
- Widened sidewalk on S Dakota Street between 16th Avenue S & 14th Avenue S
- Paved trail adjacent to Jefferson Park
SDOT will be taking comments from those attending the meeting. Mark your calendar and be a part of this exciting project that SDOT will begin working on in the fall. The department anticipates that the greenway will be completed by the end of 2012.
For more information: Brian Dougherty, (206) 684-5124, brian.dougherty@seattle.gov